The Case of the Punch in the Nose
Summary Barney feeds the flames of a quarrel. Plot Barney stirs up a hornets nest when he discovers an unresolved case file dating back to 20 years before. It would seem that Floyd ,the barber, and Mr. Foley, the grocer, got into a dispute at the barber shop, and Floyd punched Foley in the nose. Andy asks Barney to forget about it, but he re-opens the investigation anyway. It would seem that Mr. Foley fell asleep in the barber chair, and Floyd gave him a shave (for which he didn't ask), and subsequently, refused to pay. This led to an exchange of heated words between the two, leading to the punch. Floyd disputes whether Foley asked for the shave, but doesn't deny the punch. Soon everybody in Mayberry seems to be taking sides, and punching each other in the nose, forcing Andy to become uncharacteristically angry at Barney, and telling him, in no uncertain terms, to stop. Notes/Trivia *It is shown in this episode that many of the people in Mayberry are related. *The song Andy and Barney sing at the opening of this episode is a hymn called "Praise for the Fountain Opened," also known as "There is a Fountain Filled With Blood," written by William Cowper though Andy refers to the song as "Sinners lose all their guilty stains". *The "punch in the nose" between Charlie (Old Man) Foley and Floyd Lawson took place on August 9, 1946 at 11:25am inside Floyd’s Barber Shop. *It is also revealed in this episode that Otis Campbell was arrested for the first time for public drunkenness. The arrest happened on September 23, 1941 at 2pm at the Mayberry Garden Club Flower Show. The sentence was suspended because it was Otis's first offense. *Barney questions Floyd first about his involvement in the case. When Barney and Andy enter the barber shop, Floyd is reading an article in the paper about the engagement of Robert (Bobby) Gribble and Emma Lawrence. Floyd relays with much irony and excitement to Andy that outside of his shop Bobby Gribble wrote "Bobby Gribble hates Emma Lawrence" in cement when Bobby was a young kid. *Floyd also relays that Bobby Gribble's girlfriend before Emma Lawrence (girlfriend not named) is now dating Andrew Beasley. *When Barney questions Old Man Foley at his business (grocery store) it is mentioned that Goober was in the barber shop when the alleged assault occurred. Goober was 5 years old at the time and the assault happened 19 years prior, which means Goober is 24 years old in this episode. *When Barney brings Goober to the courthouse in a sirened police escort at the end of the episode (as a material witness), there are two people standing outside Floyd’s Barber Shop. One of the two people is a barber but it is clearly not Floyd. This was most likely done as a decoy to cover for Floyd who was largely immobile because of some paralysis from his stroke. Image Gallery Punchinnose3.jpg Punchinnose.jpg Category:The Andy Griffith Show Episodes Category:Season 5